The Mancos School District Re-6 had a full agenda during its meeting on Monday, Feb. 22, including discussion of graduation requirements, a board vacancy, a modified gym/cafeteria, and an unexpected gift. Here’s a summary of key points of the meeting.
Mancos schools receives oil and mineral interests
A graduate of the Mancos School District Re-6 has left the school district a gift of his oil and mineral rights.
Rapp Gawthrop, who graduated in 1965 and died in 2014, stated in his will that the district will inherit his interests in several states.
The district was recently notified of the Gawthrop’s wishes in February, and the Re-6 board agreed Monday night to investigate how much it might cost to track down the holdings.
“We could spend a lot of money and get a lot in return. We could spend a lot of money and break even. We could spend a lot of money and lose,” Superintendent Brian Hanson explained to the board.
The board directed Hanson to work with the district’s lawyer to find an expert to help research the issue.
The district believes that there may be wells in Texas based on paperwork sent to the district by Gawthrop’s lawyer.
“We’ll dig into it, but be conservative in digging,” Hanson said.
Rivera resigns as school board secretary
School Board Secretary Wesley Rivera resigned from the board in mid-February after eight years.
Her resignation letter stated that she had accepted a job that would require her to travel frequently.
The board must now fill her position within 60 days. Anyone interested can send a letter to the board by April 15. Interviews will take place April 18.
The new board member will serve until November 2017.
School entrance date might change
The Re-6 board seemed open to the idea of moving up the cutoff date for entrance to both preschool and kindergarten Monday.
Kids must be 3 years old before Sept. 15 to enter preschool or 6 years old before the same date to enter kindergarten.
Elementary Principal Cathy Epps proposed moving the date back to Aug. 31 this fall to align the Mancos district’s policies with other districts in the area.
It will also help ensure kids are ready for school, she said.
The board will have to take formal action on this change in upcoming meetings for it to go into effect.
Cafeteria could be used as practice gym
Heath Showalter, Mancos Schools’ dean of students, floated the idea Monday of reflooring the schools’ cafeteria so it could also be used as a practice gym. The cafeteria has tile laid on concrete, which is hard on knees and ankles.
If the school used an all plastic flooring it would not require maintenance, and it could eliminate the need for late-night practices. It would also help absorb sound.
He received two quotes for the plastic flooring one for $31,000 and one for $26,000.
“Where are you going to buy a gym for $30,000?” he asked, while making his case for the floor Wednesday in an interview.
The flooring can look like wood, but it is a third of the cost of a wooden floor, he said.
If the flooring ever cracked or had other problems, the plastic flooring pieces could be replaced.
The new flooring will be considered as part of overall budget discussions for next school year.
Graduation requirements changing for class of 2020
The class of 2020 will have a slightly different set of graduation requirements.
The state will require students to show they are proficient in reading and math through standardized tests including the ACT, SAT or the armed services aptitude test. They can also show this proficiency through advanced placement classes, college courses or a capstone project.
The school plans to send out letters to parents of students who will be affected by this change and hold two open forums in March to explain the changes, said secondary principal Adam Priestley.
mshinn@durangoherald.com